If I asked, "What is the most important thing you can do with your child(ren)?" How would you answer? You might say, "Go to church together!" or "Take my kids on a family vacation." Indeed, there are many important activities which enrich children's lives and help them grow into productive citizens. Amazingly, the most important thing is actually quite simple--eat together.

Anne Fishel, a co-founder of The Family Dinner Project, and professor at Harvard Medical School, suggests that studies show that eating dinner together is the most important thing you can do with your child (See her Washington Post article). While that might seem like an oversimplification, the message is clear -- spending time together without distractions creates memories and allows children to dialog with parents about important everyday issues.

​If you want to build positive memories and healthy kids, start up the BBQ and spend some time together eating dinner!